1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a geography game show; and more particularly to a game show wherein questions concern geography with emphasis on learning, the geography show including contestants, a live show audience, and remote TV viewers that interact with the game show, thereby acquiring monetary consideration and learning credits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of game show themes are known in the prior art; the principle emphasis of these themes is entertainment. Even shows which have educational value do not provide for live audience participation or remote TV viewers in the game show in a manner that fosters learning. The more conventional aspects of game shows are described in greater detail hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,739 to Mitchell discloses a game having an environmental theme. The players work together to solve environmental crisis problems selected from crisis cards. Players use a pie shaped game board, wherein an area of the world is represented using three symbolic tokens. The board has four pathways, three of which have 32 spaces, which are traveled by the players. Spaces represent land, water and sky. The fourth pathway has seven spaces. Movement is based on the rotation of a central globe with indicators pointing to different colors and eco-lottery cards. Sets of instructional cards from which the eco-lottery cards are selected consist of mother earth solution cards, grandfather sun cards and grandmother moon cards. Player movement is guided using eco-currency. A player that completes the game requirements uses the fourth pathway to reach the center of the board and win the game. Adaptation of the game for a television video game with identical features is contemplated. No disclosure is contained by the '739 patent concerning a geography-based, multimedia game show. The game provides no learning tools, since no new information is provided by the board game, other than information printed on the cards. Further, the board game provides no monetary reward or learning credit. Only active players are permitted to participate in the game, with the result that game show live audiences or remote TV viewer audience are excluded from game participation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,115 to Berman et al. discloses an interactive game show and method for achieving interactive communication. Participants are able to electronically select a future outcome from a number of possibilities. The selection is made from a series of sets having two possible outcomes. Contests are won by selecting correct outcomes. A prize is shared when that outcome is realized. Home audience viewers can participate in a televised version of the game show, using telephones to communicate a series of random numbers. These random numbers effect the selection, which can lead to award of a prize. No disclosure is contained by the patent concerning a geography game show that provides an educational learning experience
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,818 to Leeson discloses an entertainment game, suitable for a parlor game, a video game or a television game. The game comprises a plurality of distinct arbitrarily selectable information units with two independently viewable sub-units. The first sub-unit is a representation of a recognizable object and the second sub-unit comprises questions and answers concerning the object represented in the first sub-unit. At first the player needs to identify the recognizable object in the front of the card to be able to roll a dice. If he is successful, he gains 5 points. The rolled dice provides a number and the question on the second sub-unit corresponding to the rolled dice number is read. If the player answers that question correctly, he gains additional points and rolls the dice again. Dice rolling terminates when a player answers the question incorrectly, rolls a previously rolled number or runs out of all the questions. The game is adaptable for a video game or a television game show with the master of ceremonies asking the questions. No disclosure is contained therein concerning a geography game show that provides an educational learning experience.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,852 to Robinson discloses a time-to-win game. This intellectual challenge game requires at least two players. A first player is selected on the basis of a card draw, by selecting highest value card. The selected player is asked to pick a number from 1 to 12, thereby selecting a numbered disk that reveals a question category. Three questions are projected on a screen sequentially. If the selected player answers these questions correctly, his display clock will be advanced by 15 minutes and he will receive $50 for each correct answer. Next the host asks each of the players to provide an element common to these three questions. The contestant that buzzes first is permitted to answer the question. If he answers the question correctly, his clock is advanced by five minutes, and the player receives $50. Each incorrect answer results in loss of 5 minutes on the clock. The first player to advance his clock to the 12 o'clock position wins the game round, and advances to a bonus round where he is presented with 16 questions. If a player answers 12 questions correctly during a 2.5-minute time period, he wins a jackpot prize of $12,000. If the bonus round player does not answer 12 questions correctly during the 2.5-minute time period, he is paid $25 times the number of correct answers. The game disclosed by the '852 patent is not a geography game show that provides an educational learning experience.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,088 to Kravitz et al. discloses a television game interactively played by telephone with a television viewing home audience. A master board has numbers, which are selected by chance at random and represent a specified portion, for example, of the last two digits of telephone numbers for members of a home viewing audience. Each time a question is correctly answered by the game player, one of these numbers from the master board is validated by a square. This validated number is also placed on a five by five-game board with randomly selected numbers. When a line is filled in on the five by five-game card by correctly answered questions, it becomes part of a filled line which is horizontal, vertical or diagonal. The viewing audience can then call the television station or be pre-registered to win a prize. A game player and studio audience that are assigned to the game board also win prizes. The '088 patent does not disclose a geography game show that provides an educational learning experience
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,460 to Price discloses a visual educational aid. A tool is thereby provided to relate similarities and differences between different topics and relationships between subtopics and topics in a logical, orderly manner similar to continents, countries, states and features like rivers in a map. This logical ordering has similarities in appearance to a geographical map, but has no connection with a real geographical map. A map is merely used to display and order similarities and contrast dissimilarities. The patent discloses a logical ordering visualization tool which uses map like elements to group similar concepts within a region and contrast dissimilar groups as separate elements. The '460 patent does not disclose a geography game show that provides an educational learning experience.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,745 to Reintes discloses a device for playing back short films and/or advertising spots and/or quizzes. The device allows insertion of short films between questions and answers according to regional and supra-regional requirements. Answers provided by the contestant are stored and treated correctly in spite of the insertion of the short advertising film clip and sequences modified at will. A mechanism is thereby provided for inserting advertising clips. The stored responses from the contestants maintain the continuity of the game show, but do not provide a geography game show that provides educational learning experience
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,024 to Von Kohom discloses a system and method of playing games and rewarding successful players. Two signals are broadcast simultaneously from a TV or radio station, the first signal has a first group that broadcasts the program. A second group provides a signal transmission setting forth a task, such as answering one or more questions broadcast in the first group. The second signal is an instructional group identifying the time allocated for responding to the question, proper content and form of answer, as well as the mode for scoring. Remote program recipients use a television set and circuitry to receive the second signal to obtain instruction. The response equipment includes a keyboard and timing circuitry. Each response provided is stored and compared with acceptance criteria and correctness of response, and scored using circuits and print outs or magnetic records containing redeemable prize data. This interactive system requires specialized equipment and does not allow the user to interact with the system over the Internet. It is not a geography game show that affords an educational learning experience.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,188 to Elstner discloses a game device for an entertainment show for providing more dynamic image layout. A monitor wall composed of several monitors, signal sources for graphical and or textual display. A group of monitors comprising a portion of the monitor wall may be assigned to a player and may be activated to provide an optical signal when the player pushes a mechanical switch or a buzzer. The studio camera does not have to swivel back and forth between the monitor wall and the candidates since the monitor wall is right behind the candidates. No disclosure is contained by the '188 patent concerning a geography game show or means for providing an educational learning experience. Rather, the '188 patent discloses a display device within a game show.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,237 to Stephenson discloses a method for a game of skill tournament. This interactive computer-based system evaluates the skill level of a player. In the qualifying round the player competes against the computer. Scoring the highest number of points qualifies the player for the highest performance level, whereupon the player is given a reward. In the play off round, players reaching the same level of performance compete against the host computer. A local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) provides a set time period for the competition. The player with highest score is rewarded. No disclosure is contained by the '237 patent concerning a geography game show or means for providing an educational learning experience. Instead, the '237 patent discloses a computer device that determines a player's skill level.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,379 to Forrest et al. discloses an electronically interactive location-based multimedia game system and a method of interaction. The game is played in rounds with a team of players participating to come up with one or more answers for a given multimedia multiple choice question involving identification, matching, oddball element recognition, linking or poling of factual data within a preset time period. The player teams may be collocated in a location-based facility or may play via the Internet. When the teams select correct answers, an indication is provided and score is maintained to determine the winning team. Such a multimedia interactive game provides no disclosure concerning a geography game show that affords an educational learning experience
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,159 to Giangrante discloses a “Double Cross” puzzle game show played by two or more players. The video game board consists of grid of squares for example, 15×15, with locations for letters and locations which are blocked out. The central square may provide video or verbal clues. The game begins with a spin to a vowel-wheel to select a vowel, which is filled in the puzzle board in its proper location. A player, selected as a controlling player, picks a clue number from a list of clues. The controlling player may answer the clue or “double cross” an opponent by challenging him to answer the clue provided. If the controlling player decides to answer the clue and does it correctly, a word is revealed. In this event, the controlling player controls the board and receives $25 times the number of letters in the word. Failure of the controlling player to answer the clue results in a loss of $25 times the number of letters in the answer. Other players may then ring in to answer the clue. If the ringing player's answer is correct, that player becomes the controlling player and receives $25 times the number of letters in the word. If no one rings, the next consecutive player becomes the controlling player. When the controlling player “double crosses” by challenging another player, the controlling player obtains an opportunity to answer the clue. A correct answer from the controlling player results in an award of three times $25 times the number of letters and the opportunity to remain as the controlling player. Failure of the controlling player answer correctly results in loss of $25 times the number of letters. In that event, the next consecutive player becomes the controlling player. The game is continued until the puzzle is complete. In the final phase, the leading player or all of the players must solve a word puzzle consisting of only two interlocking words. The game may be played on a television game show using a telephone having an Internet connection. The game may additionally be played as a board game or a video game. No disclosure is provided concerning a geography game show that affords an educational learning experience.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,868 to Oguma discloses a multi-screen display apparatus and video switching processing apparatus. The image screen consists of a main image, a sub image A and a sub image B. The main image is combined with sub images A and B by determining if sub images are in even field or odd field to eliminate flicker. The combined image is written into a video-storing device and read to produce a stationary or smoothly moving sub images without flicker. One of the sub images can be turned off or switched on smoothly without flicker. This multi screen display apparatus and video switching processing is not a geographic game show.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,997 to Brasseur et al. discloses a television/Internet game show. Internet users register and answer a questionnaire to create user profiles that are randomly selected and posted on the TV game show web page. Internet users get to vote on these profiles to select a winner. The winner receives a large monetary award during a live TV show provided by the advertisers. The winner must spend the award during a preset time period or forgo unspent portions thereof. No disclosure is provided concerning a geography game show that creates an educational learning experience. Instead, the Brasseur et al. patent discloses a lottery game having a televised award ceremony.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0016196 to Orak discloses an Internet game show in which a visual clue is progressively exposed to contestants, providing visual clues. The contestants log onto the game show at the same time and are allowed to see the questions progressively. Questions are viewed as a stream of data from the game show host server computer. The questions may also be loaded into the contestant's computer and revealed progressively using special software. Each of the contestants fills in a blank area to provide a textual response and returns it to the game show host by activating a send button. The software returns this response with a computer-generated time stamp to account for the Internet transmission time delay. The contestant that provides the earliest correct response is the winner. Each of the contestant's computer clocks must be set to the same time, which is oftentimes not feasible. No disclosure is provided concerning a geography game show that affords an educational learning experience. Instead, the patent discloses an interactive Internet game.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0083436 to Fidler discloses a method for a network-televised commercial-free game show in which revenue generating advertisements and entertainment are integrated. A predetermined number of contestants is selected and provided with a square game board connected and integrated with an Internet advertising support system link to the show. The square game board comprises many unlighted squares having randomly generated numbers, and a blank center square. A segment of an advertiser's commercial is shown to the contestants and to the public. Contestants must provide a response relating to the advertised product. If a correct response is provided, a light is turned on in the square game board; otherwise no light is turned on. The advertiser's commercial is displayed in its entirety. When complete array of lights in the contestant's game board is lit along a horizontal, vertical or a diagonal line, that contestant is a winner. The game show uses advertising commercials as an integral part of the show. No commercial breaks are needed. Revenue is generated from commercials as well as an Internet system link. No disclosure is provided concerning a geographic game show. The Fidler application tests the skills of contestants regarding the knowledge of advertised products.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0125637 to Leis discloses a word game and methods for conducting the same. This word game is playable by one or more players. It comprises a plurality of syllables in text boxes with value options. When a value option is selected, a clue is provided. The player that made the selection must then come up with a word that comprises the syllables provided in the text box. Correct answers are rewarded while incorrect answers are penalized. This word game can be played as a television game. No disclosure is provided concerning a geography game show that creates an educational learning experience. The Leis application discloses a video game; not a TV game show.
Foreign Patent No. FR 2689413 to Gaston discloses an educational geographical game. Towns are noted on a map having a rectangular frame. A removable map is held by the rectangular frame. A graduated ruler pivots on the frame to show positions of towns. The removable plastic frame allows placement of maps within the frame, while the pivoted graduated ruler sweeps across the map, allowing players to note the exact positions of towns. The Gaston patent discloses recording the positions of towns within a map. However, it does not disclose a geography game show that provides an educational learning experience.
Game shows are varied in nature and provide mostly entertainment with monetary rewards primarily to the contestants. Some of the games, which use telephone connection or Internet to communicate remote participants' answers, require additional equipment or software and do not provide feedback as to the correctness of the answers. There remains a need in the art for a geography game show in which the contestants, live show audience and remote TV viewers can participate in real time and obtain monetary or material rewards and learning credits providing validation of the learning experience.